Lebohang Maboe of Mamelodi Sundowns celebrates goal with teammates during the Absa Premiership 2019/20 match between Mamelodi Sundowns and Black Leopards at Dobsonville Stadium, Johannesburg, on 05 September 2020 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
Mamelodi Sundowns forward Lebo Maboe emphasised the way Masandawana have coped with being in the bio-bubble after they overhauled Kaizer Chiefs on the last day of the 2019/20 season to lift the Absa Premiership trophy for the third season in a row.
Sundowns went into their game against Black Leopards on Saturday at Dobsonville Stadium knowing they had to go all-out to beat Black Leopards and hope Chiefs slipped up against Baroka FC at Bidvest Stadium. And so it proved, as Chiefs drew 1-1 with Baroka, and Sundowns beat Leopards 3-0 to win their fifth league title in seven seasons under Pitso Mosimane.
Talking to SuperSport TV after the game, Man-of-the-Match Maboe commented on how Sundowns coped with the difficulty of not knowing if they would win it right up to the final whistle.
“You have to be mentally tough,” he said.
“After spending so much time in camp (in the bio-bubble), even after every draw and defeat it is not like you could go back to your family. You have to stay as one and we are a big team, but we had to make our supporters happy.”
“I would like to say here is La Decima (Sundowns’ 10th Premiership title), thanks for their support throughout the season, the trophy is for them.”
Sundowns could even afford to miss a first half penalty as Maboe struck on the stroke of half time and then added two more, to give Sundowns their fourth win in five games and leave Leopards facing the relegation play-offs, which start tomorrow.
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